A gladiator defense, a movie ending and a race to remember. Fernando Alonso once again thrills, reminds us of the titan he always was in a spectacular grand prix that was resolved in a cycling photo finish. The Spaniard’s eighth podium in 2023 came after an epic response, holding off Checo Pérez’s Red Bull when there is no way out in the alley, in the final stretch, where the personality is seen. Verstappen won, but the focus today is on Alonso.
Eighteen years after traveling to a country in his car, lifting a sport towards infinity, winning a world championship, Alonso does it again in Brazil. His genetic talent and his unbreakable will elevated him to the most exciting podium, only 53 thousandths, nothing, less than a sigh. A prize that he saw himself lost to the mechanical superiority of the Red Bull, but that remained alive because in F1 not only the car counts. The pilot, someone like Alonso, is everything.
The race dawns turbulent, typical of Brazil. Charles Leclerc does not start due to a hydraulic problem with the Ferrari, stuck against the protections. And when the traffic light went out, the hustle and bustle.
The two Aston Martins, Stroll and Alonso, start badly, and Norris and Hamilton pass like lightning in the first corner. From behind the whip. Magnussen and Albon se tocan, The two destroy their cars (Haas and Williams), Piastri damages his McLaren and the inevitable safety car ends with a red flag. Fences must be repaired for the sake of security. And half an hour later, another departure takes place.
In the second round Verstappen takes the lead, Norris hugs his waist and the two establish the ‘status quo’ that will dominate the race for 71 laps. Behind, equality gives a pleasant and pleasant race.
Fernando Alonso converts intuition into wisdom, and determination in warrior ardor. A specialist in first laps since he was a lightning bolt at the start with that blue Renault, the Spaniard sets out to conquer his ambitions.
On the access straight to Turn 4 Alonso, who did not make a great start, accounts for Hamilton. A sandpaper pass for the Mercedes driver that expresses Aston Martin’s improvement in Brazil. With a competitive car, Alonso is a threat to anyone.
Located in third position, the Asturian moderates his third place as if it were living gold. Since he cannot get close to Norris, much less Verstappen, he measures the race with the intelligence of hundredths. He ensures that no one approaches his Aston Martin to avoid DRS (the rear wing opened less than a second from the rival that provides much more speed).
devastating rhythm
His pace is devastating at that moment while he performs the saddest operation in current Formula 1 memory: managing the tires, ensuring that they do not wear out, giving hundredths of a second in exchange for not stopping in the garage to replace wheels.
Behind there is a battle. The two Mercedes are in an institutional crisis, Russell fought with his directors because they won’t let him surpass Hamilton. Checo Pérez comes back and surpasses the Mercedes. Also Carlos Sainz, consistent in his rhythm. And there appears Lance Stroll, Alonso’s partner, with a great rate of speed.
Alonso’s eighth podium collides with a Red Bull, Checo Pérez’s. But the Mexican is not Verstappen and thanks to that the Spaniard manages to maintain the position, defend it both on the track and at the second stop in the garage.
Alonso is tough as flint and squeezes all the possibilities of the circuit to keep Checo away. On lap 55, the Mexican finally achieves less than a second of distance, activate the DRS in the two enabled areas and prepares to pass.
The Spanish defends himself with guts and knowledge. He enters the curves slower and exits with much more speed on the straight that leads to lane 4, where Checo never manages to throw the car.
The movie repeats itself one lap after another, Checo approaches on the finish line, but does not leave with speed in the curves. And, one after another, Alonso protects himself like a lion, not allowing the Mexican to get close. A beautiful fight that carries over to the end, 16 heroic lapsNumantine defense, which holds a last lap to remember.
Pérez finally passes Alonso on the penultimate lap, but the Spaniard does not give in. He bites the Mexican, he sticks like a limpet, he doesn’t give up his dream. And on the last lap he bites back. Now he activates the DRS and in turn 4 he overtakes the Aztec. With both drivers out of control, the final stretch is reached.
A cycling sprint, wheel to wheel, one car next to another, two gladiators in action. Alonso wins by 53 thousandths, in the same second, kidney blow. Heroic.
2023-11-05 19:12:34
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